The Cincinnati Bengals enter a pivotal season in 2026. They have failed to make the playoffs for the last three years, which is disappointing considering the core of players they have. The defense has been the side of the ball that's held this team back, and they've used this offseason to address that unit.
They hope they did enough to solidify the defense because if they continue to struggle again, it could force quarterback Joe Burrow out of town. In an article written by ESPN's Dan Graziano, he claims it's not an overreaction to say "now or never for this version of Joe Burrow and the Bengals".
The next six months are huge for this organization if they want to keep this team intact. If things go south for the fourth straight year, there's a great chance that Burrow gets traded and the Bengals will have to restart at the most important position.
Bengals face an uncomfortable truth that could reshape their future
There was speculation that Burrow would ask for a trade this offseason, but that didn't happen. Instead, he's giving them another chance, but they need to answer the call this fall. Burrow has also dealt with several injuries over the past few years, including turf toe and wrist injuries that forced him to miss 16 games.
While he needs to stay healthy, when Burrow is on the field, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. In 77 games, he has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 20,810 yards, 157 passing touchdowns, and 51 interceptions.
He has three seasons under his belt with 4,400-plus passing yards and 34-plus passing touchdowns. It's not a secret that he's one of the top signal callers in the league, but if the Bengals aren't able to make a deep playoff run, he could ask out.
Graziano pointed out that during the 2023 to 2025 stretch, Cincinnati was 10th in offensive EPA, while the defense came in at 29th in defensive EPA. These stats are just another example of how lopsided things have been lately with the Bengals.
With Burrow turning 30 years old in December, he's looking to capitalize on the next few years in an attempt to win a title. If Cincinnati doesn't turn things around in 2026, he may look to change locations and force a trade. There were rumors this offseason that Burrow may step away or even get moved. Obviously, that didn't progress anywhere, but there's a world where it does if things go south in the next six months.
Getting a franchise quarterback is difficult, and Cincinnati has one in the building. If they want to keep him, they need to have plenty of success between now and December to give them a shot when the playoffs start in January.
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